Ford F-150 Lobo Reviewed: 5 Best & 5 Worst Features

Daily-Driving The Wolf: Base Truck on the Inside, Party on the Outside

Ford dominates off-road enthusiast circles with models like Raptor, Tremor, Bronco, and FX4, but many Blue Oval fans have been holding out hope for a long-awaited successor to the second-generation SVT Lightning. You know, back when a performance truck meant a truck purpose-built for street shenanigans. Alas, while a literal successor doesn't seem to be in the cards, Ford has heard those passionate pleas and produced its first full-sized street truck in decades, the F-150 Lobo.

Not a distinct model in the lineup like Tremor, the F-150 Lobo is actually a package for the STX model, the second-most affordable F-150 in the lineup. Technically, the Lobo package only costs a little under $5,000. But it can only be configured on a 5.0L V8-equipped STX with Four Wheel Drive, which pushes its base MSRP up to $59,605, including destination, delivery, and all of these features --

• 400 horsepower 5.0L Coyote V8
• A unique grille with a unique daytime running light
• Body-color bumpers with a lower grille opening and foglights
• A Tremor-style hood with fake vents
• A Lobo-specific lower ground effects package
• 22" black wheels with Bridgestone tires
• 4-Auto 4WD transfer case
• Rear-end lowered 2" compared to other F-150s
• 3.73 locking rear gears
• Black-tipped dual exhaust
• F-150 Lobo front fender badge
• A unique frame with shorter rear shocks

Everything else on the truck is standard STX fair, including the gray cloth seats with green accents, column shifter, an actual key instead of a wireless fob, a digital gauge cluster, a large infotainment screen with a back up camera and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, single-zone manual HVAC controls, heated rear window with no passthrough, plastic door handles and side mirrors, and five-passenger layout with a center console.

After spending a week daily driving the new F-150 Lobo, we've put together a price comparison to other V8-powered F-150s, as well as a list of the top five BEST and WORST features about the Lobo experience. Is this the right F-150 for you? Let's find out!

F-150 Pricing Comparison: Is the Lobo a Good Deal?

Here's how the Lobo's price compares to other 5.0L V8 F-150 models...

• XL Regular Cab 4x2 - $42,125
• XL Regular Cab 4x4 - $47,140
• XL SuperCrew 4x2 - $49,070
• XL SuperCrew 4x4 - $52,955
• XL SuperCrew 4x4 with 3.73 gears & High Package - $54,720
• XLT SuperCrew 4x4 with 3.73 gears - $57,620
• XLT SuperCrew 4x4 with Black Appearance Package - $58,235
• LOBO - $59,605
• Lariat SuperCrew 4x4 - $66,845
• Lariat SuperCrew 4x4 with a dual exhaust - $69,990 (requires mid package)

As you can see, yes, you can buy a 5.0 4x4 XL or XLT that's cheaper out the door than a Lobo. Especially if you want a Regular cab model. But XL and XLTs don't offer the upgraded transfer case (more on this in a moment), nor the Lobo's enhanced visual upgrades. And it would be pretty hard to build an XL or XLT into a Lobo spec using aftermarket parts for cheaper than just buying a Lobo directly from Ford.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Lariat does include the better 4A transfer case, plus a nicer interior and more technology. But if you want dual exhaust with black wheels on the Lariat, it'll cost you roughly $10,000 more than the Lobo, money that could be spent on performance mods. And the Lariat won't have the lowered rear axle from factory. So you could build a better Lobo using a Lariat, but it's going to cost a pretty penny.

Anyway, now that you understand what the Lobo is and how much it costs, let's dive into the five things we love most and five things we'd change...

LOVE 1. Style

A completely subjective opinion, of course, many folks dislike the Lobo's styling as much as I love it. But to my eyes, outside of the STX's cheaper plastic elements, it's the best-looking F-150 this side of the Raptor.

This simple, clean design makes the truck a semi-sleeper... that's always ready to party. Especially in a bright color like white or red, where the black wheels and grilles really pop. This whole 24+ generation looks great, with the newer coast-to-coast style grilles, of course. But I love the way the Lobo uses a wide daytime running light in a way that doesn't feel like a cheap gimmick (you know, like the all-electric F-150 Lightning).

The Lobo is mostly a visual package, and I think they delivered. However...

CHANGE 1. A Little Lower, Please

Forget aesthetics, the Lobo may be a street truck, but it doesn't always drive like a performance truck. Meaning, it's quite comfortable around town when the pavement isn't a mess, but it handles like any old truck when tossed into a corner. We'd love to see Ford drop the Lobo down a little more -- nothing major, maybe another inch or inch and a half -- along with its center of gravity, to give it more confidence in the corners. (Also, maybe some better tires.)

LOVE 2. 5.0L Coyote + 10R80 Transmission in Sport Mode

Under the hood of the Lobo, there's only one engine option. The 5.0L Coyote V8, making 400 horsepower and 410 ft.-lbs. of peak torque. A venerable, quick-revving fourth-generation variant of the iconic Coyote V8 family. Which really shines with a twist of the Drive Mode dial into Sport, waking up Ford's 10-speed 10R80 transmission. Say goodbye to Auto Start/Stop and hello to a transmission ready to downshift at every throttle blip, while holding the engine higher up its rev range, where it's ready to rip and roar.

During our testing, we managed 5.74 seconds to 60 mph, measured by a Dragy Pro GPS. If a magazine were doing its testing, using what's called a 1-ft rollout, that's effectively 5.51 seconds to 60 mph, which is roughly half a second faster than MotorTrend's estimated time for this truck. To be clear, the Lobo isn't going to be noticeably faster than other 5.0L-powered 4x4 F-150s. Still, it's the closest we've ever come to driving around in a roomy, tall, four-door Mustang. And, yet...

CHANGE 2. A Little Louder Exhaust

The Lobo is super quiet, so we'd love to see the Lobo get an optional active valve exhaust or a system tuned for a little more tone and growl. Nothing to make your neighbors hate you, of course. But as best as we can tell, the Lobo V8's intake noise is just as loud as, or louder than, the actual dual exhaust setup.

LOVE 3. 4-Auto Torque on Demand Transfer Case

Naturally, while looks are important and the Coyote is the star of the show, the 4 Auto transfer case is arguably the Lobo's secret weapon. How so? Well, other XL, STX, and XLT 4x4 F-150s only offer a standard transfer case with 2 High, 4 High, and 4 Low. With this transfer case, it's a bad idea to drive in 4H unless you're traveling in a straight line or on a loose surface like snow or mud. Too much front-wheel turning on dry pavement will damage this style of transfer case.

Ford's 4Auto or torque-on-demand transfer case adds a set of internal clutches that give it a 4A or all-wheel-drive mode. Meaning, you can not only launch your F-150 LOBO in 4WD, but also enjoy spirited driving around corners with maximum traction. And the Lobo is the most affordable F-150 with this transfer case, by several thousand dollars.

(Although Ford really should make this transfer case standard on all 4x4 models, but I digress.)

Still, there's a downside to this being a relatively affordable performance model...

CHANGE 3. STX Interior

Ford has done an amazing job giving the STX a lot of standard features -- big screens, a solid radio, all the charging ports you could ever want -- but its interior is a bit of a letdown. First, because the Lobo doesn't get its own unique seats, the comfy gray cloth seats feature green stitching and accents that don't fit the rest of the Lobo vibe. (Honestly, just gray would probably be fine.)

Also, the STX's steering wheel feels just awful in the hand. I don't understand how my 1987 Mercury has a better plastic steering wheel than something Ford cooked up almost 40 years later. Still, there's a lot Ford gets right about the F-Series interior, including...

LOVE 4. So Much Room for Activities

Like all other F-150 and Super Duty interiors, the Lobo's cabin layout is wonderfully spacious. I personally wish the Lobo were available with the front bench seat like the XL and XLT, but I guess consoles are sporty. Even when there's a column shifter.

Still, even with the loss of a sixth seat, the F-150 Lobo is absolutely cavernous on the inside, making daily driving and weekend adventures with the family feel like you're cruising around in a limousine.

Although size does come at a cost...

CHANGE 4. Fuel Economy

• EPA Estimated: 16 mpg city / 24 mpg highway / 19 mpg combined
• Highway As Tested: 20.0 mpg over 124.3 miles (stop & go, driving over a mountain, higher speeds)
• City As Tested: 11-15 mpg, depending on a few variables

Over the course of 300 miles in the Lobo, we ended our loan with 14-15 mpg combined, which included mostly city driving, some spirited 0-60 testing, idling for photography and videos, and 124 miles of highway driving in less-than-ideal conditions. Like anything, you're going to get better fuel economy with a light foot and by being able to cruise at consistent speeds over flat terrain. In the real world of a sprawling metropolis, it's hard to get around the fact that the F-150 Lobo is a big, tall, V8-powered truck that will guzzle all the gas you want to throw at it.

Still, the fact that something so big with so much room can come in only 1-3mpg behind the lighter Mustang GT is still pretty impressive.

LOVE 5. It's Still a Truck -- Comfortable, Towing, Hauling

At the end of the day, the Lobo isn't the next SVT Lightning (which Ford never claimed), but that's arguably a good thing. The Lobo looks the part, sounds pretty good, and goes pretty quick. But it still seats five passengers, and it's a truck that you can use every single day, not a race car. Yes, towing and payload are down a little bit thanks to the lowered rear suspension, but you can still tow 7,900 lbs and haul 1,450 lbs, making it one of the coolest daily drivers in the Ford lineup.

CHANGE 5. More Power???

Overall, the Lobo package delivers a lot of fun and performance for the money. And, yet, 400 horsepower doesn't go a long way when you're in a big ole truck weighing 5,000 lbs, plus passengers and gear. It's not slow, mind you, but it's not exactly fast either.

We'd love to see Ford give the 5.0L Coyote a little more Mustang flavor with a higher rev limit and more power. 500 to 550 hp would really wake this wolf up, although this is unlikely to happen.

The more traditional approach is tossing on a Ford Performance Whipple Supercharger, which will lift the Lobo up to 700 crank horsepower, just 20 shy of the roaring Raptor R. Along those lines, Ford has recently announced a turn-key solution to do just that: walk into a dealership to order a Lobo and check the box to add the supercharger, and it'll be installed before you take delivery and make your first payment.

How will such a dramatic change affect the overall drivability, durability, and fuel economy of the Lobo?

Stay tuned, as we'll be driving a Supercharged Lobo sometime in the next few weeks, and we'll be sure to let you know.

Images: Michael S. Palmer